A Flame on Your Dark Path
by Kid Majere
Summary: Harry has one last chance to save Hermione from her path.....by forcing her to relive her memories.
1. Relive Your Memories

Prologue  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy by her side, looked down at Harry Potter and Ron Weasley as they lay at her feet, in the dirt. She smirked, loving the feeling of power that ran through her.  
  
"Mione, please.." Harry whispered. "We're your friends.."  
  
Hermione had a flash of happier times - studying in the Gryffindor common room with them, playing wizard chess, and various other things. Shaking her head, she looked down at them coldly, raising her wand.  
  
"I know no friends, only power."  
  
Ron was unconscious. Harry, weakened by grief and injury, lowered his head to the damp earth. All hope was lost..  
  
Or was it?  
  
In a last, desperate attempt to save Hermione from what she had become, Harry yanked the necklace from under his robes and held it up for her to see.  
  
"Mione, do you remember this? It's your necklace. You gave it to me when you...when you..told me..that you loved me..."  
  
Hermione, caught by total surprise, peered down at the necklace. It was a flame, and she dimly remembered the words she had said when she had given it to Harry. They rang, a distant echo, in her ears.  
  
"It's a symbol."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Of how my love burns for you..."  
  
Draco sneered. "A necklace, Potter?" he spat. "Just how will a necklace change Hermione's mind? She has everything she could ever want on this side - friends, a family, power, wealth...me."  
  
Harry leered at Draco, still clutching the necklace.  
  
Memories still rang in Hermione's head, and she placed her hands over her ears, trying to block out the words.  
  
"I chose my path!" she screeched. "I am the greatest Dark witch there ever was or ever could be!!! I am powerful! I am feared! I am...I am.." she fell to her knees in front of Harry. He looked at her.  
  
Which side would she choose?  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
a/n: It's just a short prologue. If you want me to continue, please review. I normally write in the Maurader's era, but I'll give this another try. I think this fic could turn out pretty good. Feel free to flame, or give out advice. And I do answer e-mails if you want to do that. But be warned - I dunno how this will turn out. I write without knowing what will come next. I act on impulse. =D 


	2. One By One

Relive your memories...one by one....  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Look at it. Look at me! Please, Hermione!" Harry pleaded. He shook the flame in front of her face, trying to capture her attention once again, but she kept her head lowered. Every now and then, she mumbled something, as if trying to reassure herself.  
  
"It won't work, Potter," Draco sneered, but he looked worried. "Hermione has chosen her path. She and I are the greatest Dark witch and wizard in the world, next to our Lord Voldemort. We have everything we could ever want..."  
  
Harry ignored him, speaking only to his long-lost friend. "Don't you remember, Mione? Remember all the adventures we had? Like that time we tried to keep that amulet safe in our fifth year.."  
  
~*flashback*~  
  
"Well, it could be a basilisk," Ron suggested. "We know the school has one of those."  
  
"No, Harry and Fawkes killed it. And besides, why would they have a basilisk guarding the amulet? It would kill everyone, even the people who were allowed to go near the amulet," Hermione said matter-of-factly.  
  
"How do we even know there is an amulet?" Harry asked. "I mean, sure, there are a lot of people talking about it, and it is said to have these great magic powers. So what? It could be a legend, just like Professor Binns said."  
  
"...uh, Harry? Since when do you listen to Professor Binns?" Ron asked. "Besides, we know there is one, because Snape was trying to steal it!"  
  
Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher! Didn't we go over that in our first year, when we thought he was trying to kill Harry!?"  
  
Harry and Ron shrugged.  
  
"Honestly, don't you two have any recollection of our earlier years!? Oh, nevermind!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what about that new professor?"  
  
Ron looked at Hermione, aghast. "How could you suggest that!?? Romulus is Remus's brother!!!"  
  
"I wasn't talking about Professor Lupin!!" Hermione screeched indignantly. "I was talking about that wizard who replaced Madame Hooch!!!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
Harry shook his head. "No way. Professor Specter in a great guy!"  
  
Hermione shrugged. "Just a thought. Anyway, it's late. We should get some sleep."  
  
"Why?" Ron whined.  
  
"Because I think we should go check out that dungeon place where the amulet is supposedly held!"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were up early the next morning. They ate a quick breakfast, then tiptoed down to the dungeons.  
  
"Uh, Mione? Why the dungeons? Wouldn't a secret passage be more appropriate?" Harry asked.  
  
"No. I overheard Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall talking last night. Apparently, the amulet is inside a locked dungeon."  
  
"Just locked?" Ron inquired.  
  
"Well, they said that there was something else there, but I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"Hermione, not paying attention!? Gasp!" Harry grinned.  
  
"Shut up and follow me," Hermione said, concealing her smile. She led them down a winding corridor, inside a painting, and down another cold hallway. Soon, they heard a faint growling.  
  
"What do you suppose that noise is...?" Ron asked.  
  
"Maybe the thing they got to guard this amulet from Voldemort." Harry replied.  
  
"Say You-Know-Who, will ya?" Ron said nervously. "The last thing I need is to hear the name in a dark, cold, deserted corridor!"  
  
"Shush, you guys!" Hermione chided. "I think we're....almost...th.." she trailed off, staring straight ahead.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked. "What is it, Hermi..." he, too, stopped.  
  
"Guys? Could you tell me..." Ron's face took on a ghost-like quality.  
  
Standing in front of them was a very strange creature. It had the head and front legs of a eagle, and the body and hind legs of a lion.  
  
"W..w...what is that!!?" Ron squeaked.  
  
"G-g-griffin," Hermione replied faintly. "It's a creature that guards treasure..and...feeds on.raw meat.."  
  
"Raw...meat!?" Harry said.  
  
They looked at each other. "RUN!!!"  
  
~*end flashback*~  
  
Harry grinned feebly. "Well, we tried protecting it, anyway."  
  
Hermione still wouldn't meet his eyes. 'I chose *this* path. This is the right one. I am powerful. I am feared. I am evil...'  
  
Harry threw the necklace in her lap. "Fine! Fine, Mione! Kill me if you're going to! But please...keep the necklace and remember me..."  
  
Remember me...  
  
~*flashback*~  
  
"Harry?" Hermione said shyly, poking the raven-haired boy in the back as he sat reading a book in the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Yeah, Mione?" Harry closed the book and turned to face the girl, who was carefully looking down.  
  
"Harry...you know that I love you, right?"  
  
"Of course, Mione. I love you, too."  
  
"You know that I'll cry if I ever lose you, right?"  
  
"Oh, Hermione, you won't have to cry, because I'll always be with you."  
  
"You'll remember me always, right, Harry?"  
  
"How could anyone ever forget you?"  
  
~*end flashback*~  
  
Hermione shrieked again, jerking back from both Harry and Draco. She looked at them, wand raised, eyes darting.  
  
"One of you is going to die," she said slowly.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
  
a/n: Alright, I have a strange mind. Impulse writing, indeed. Thanks to those who reviewed - Phire Phoenix, Oria, and Lacey Evans. =D 


	3. The Flame Consumes All

The Flame Consumes All.....Don't Let it Consume You, Too.....  
  
Draco and Harry stared at each other. Draco smirked.  
  
"Scared, Potter?" he asked in cruel remembrance of their second year dueling club.  
  
Harry also smirked. "You wish."  
  
Hermione ignored them both, concentrating on her own thoughts. 'One of them will die.....but who.....' She stared first at Draco, remembered how he had first approached her, what he said.  
  
"I can give you power money, love, Hermione.....I can give you everything you desire, if you'll just give one thing to me....." It was true that she was sick of being the bushy-haired, studious little witch. She fingered a lock of straight, smooth cinnamon hair. But did it really have to come to this – mindless killing, torturing for fun.....  
  
She turned her eyes instead on Harry, still kneeling in the dirt next to Ron.  
  
Ron.....Hermione's heart contracted painfully. 'Harry's best friend.....and used to be mine, too!' He eyes roved over Ron's dirty red hair, his pale skin, caked with dirt. He was hurting – from a spell she had casted on him! She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the memories play over her again.  
  
'Ron, you should be studying!'  
  
'Aw, Hermione, it's Christmas.....'  
  
Tears formed in her eyes, and she stared finally at Harry. He was staring back at her. Not pleadingly, just sadly. At that moment, she knew she had the power to end his life with two simple words if she wanted to. She kept her eyes blank. Her anger built. She raised her wand. She knew who was going to die.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!!!"  
  
a/n: So sorry it took so long! That chapter was dedicated to you, Phire Phoenix. I'm really sorry it took so long. Expect the end soon! And thank you also to Lover-Of-Sirius-Black for reviewing. I also love Sirius Black. . 


	4. And It Had Consumed You Too

…**and it had consumed you…**

Hermione knelt in the dirt, hands raking through her hair. "Oh, Godric, what have I done? What have I done? I killed him…I'll be sent to Azkaban. I've killed him…"

She crawled over to Ron. "Ron, speak to me. Please, Ron, get up. I need…your help…" She collapsed on the cold earth as, all around her, it started to rain.

"Mione…I knew you could do it."

Hermione looked up.

"But you still weren't powerful enough. You didn't kill him. You just knocked him out. You were reverting back to your old self, and you failed to kill him."

She closed her eyes. "I didn't kill him."

Harry knelt beside her. "Mione, I've missed you so much."

"He never loved me. Harry, I'm so sorry. I never stopped loving you, though…I just though…how could anyone love me when I was so plain and uninteresting? I know I wasn't much to look at…Draco made me beautiful. He gave me power. He gave me wealth…and he gave me false love. No…not even that. He gave me sex, sex that I didn't even want. Harry, I've made such a mess of myself…"

Harry smiled softly, reaching around to place the necklace back around Hermione's throat. "You were always beautiful to me, Mione. You're not a mess…"

The rain fell harder as Hermione started crying. Harry smiled and held her, one hand reaching out to pull Ron closer to them to shield him from the rain.

After a while, Hermione looked up. "Harry…Voldemort will kill me…"

Harry shook his head. "Voldemort is dead. Dumbledore and I were teamed up against him when I heard Ron yell, and you scream. I left him to help where I was really needed."

Hermione lowered her head. "I've made a real mess of things, haven't I?"

Harry gazed at her unflinchingly. "Yes. But, if I know you Hermione, I know you can fix it."

Hermione smiled at him, and reached out to stroke Ron's hair.

"See? Look. The sun is rising. It's a new day."

Hermione looked in the direction Harry was pointing. Yes, it was a new day. A new chance to make everything right.

Harry stood up, helping Hermione. Together, they carried Ron, heading back for the castle.

And Hermione kicked Draco as she passed.

- - - - - - - -

**a/n: Oooh, my mind is warped. That story was…eh. However, thank you to my lovely reviewers who seemed to enjoy it: Phire Phoenix, Charm12, darling, Lover-Of-Sirius-Black, Legofodopip, Oria, and Reticence. **


End file.
